Cleaning for a Reason- what it’s like servingCleaning for a Reason is one of my favorite services we offer.It feels good to give and it also makes my heart hurt for the women who are fighting their fight.Cleaning For A Reason is a non profit organization that provides free residential cleaning services to women battling cancer.It’s like smiling through tears.It’s rewarding and heart wrenching.All at the same time.Smiles

Seeing kids art work decorating a fridge

Family Pictures where you see the beautiful woman that is the family glue, their rock, their number #1

Dusting picture frames with sweet little faces in them

Wiping tiny goober hand prints from front door glass

Hoping the service we give her that day will make her week a little more restful

Hoping the service we give will make her smile even for a moment

The woman whose house you are cleaning really appreciates it, and I mean really appreciates.

The woman you are helping doesn’t want to ask her mother in law, sister, best friend or neighbor.She doesn’t want to trouble them.But the service you are giving is a true gift to her.

Helping a Mother who is not only exhausted from her job, and her kids’ activity schedule.. but from the Chemo or Radiation Treatment that just sucks the energy from her body.

TEARS

Seeing the Prescribed medicine occupy space on the counter that she needs during her treatments.

Vacuuming around an oxygen machine and tubes

Noticing her oven is as clean as it was a month ago because she doesn’t have the energy to cook.

Moving the ‘all natural’ products to the side of the counter to the other to clean and realizing she probably switched to these the second she got the news of her cancer

Knowing she had to humble herself to register for the help you are giving her and someone who is typically in control of all things in her household is trusting you to take care of what she wishes she had the strength to.

Knowing the struggle this woman is facing makes anything that you used to think constituted a ‘bad day’ look like a vacation.

Every business has it's challenges and you have to find humor in what you do some times. Over the past 4 1/2 years our cleaning team has cleaned a variety of locations from professional offices to Fitness Clubs to Dental and Doctor Offices. We have had some laughs about some really miscellaneous items we have run into while cleaning. Here is our Top Ten:1. BRA -- a very large cupped one...how do you arrive at work with this on and then not have it on when you go home? 2.TOENAIL CLIPPING- so you got paid to perform personal hygiene today? 3. A NOTE asking to please clean up dog poop--that ended up being a pile of dirt....but laughed because who would really let "poop" sit in their work space the entire day and who is letting dogs into their office? 4. PEOPLE who got locked in after the staff left - yep, we were as surprised to see them as they were confused about why were asking them to leave, they had no idea the place had closed. 5. A CELL PHONE... that's not really funny but the guy who came to the door to collect it looked like Jesse Ventura and actually thought we would open the door for him. Having him take 10 steps back and sliding the phone through a cracked door was probably an interesting sight to see. 6. BEER CANS in an office- --- please tell me I don't have to say why this seems inappropriate. 7. A MOUNTAIN DEW BOTTLE...someone tried to flush down a toilet.... trash cans must of been full?!? 8. 6 INCH STILLETO HEELS under desk....right next to a pair of GRANNY ORTHOPEDIC TENNIES.....talk about a woman with versitility. And by the way, this is how I roll also. 9.VERY LARGE BOXER SHORTS- again, how do you wear these in to a facility but not wear them when you leave? 10.A SACK FROM MCDONALDS....with note "Cleaners,please don't throw this away it's my lunch for tomorrow." perfectly accepteable note and request except it's 9pm at night and the sack of food is sitting on the desk? We need to talk about bacteria my friend.

Worthwhile work is a belief an individual has when the tasks they perform, no matter how apparently menial, provide a valuable service for an individual or group." What if there were no nurses to empty bed pans? What if there were no such thing as septic tank pumpers? What if there were no garbage men to take away trash on a regular basis? What if restaurants had no dish washers? What would happen if businesses didn’t have their facilities cleaned? If you let your mind begin to think about such a world without service work being done it gets filled with bacteria, chaos and a loss of customers pretty fast. Doing service work doesn’t have to mean you aren’t qualified to do anything else in life. Sometimes the desire to help others succeed is the driving force behind the success. Cleaning for businesses is worthwhile work. Cleaning is something that HAS to get done. Those who say they do not clean either aren’t being truthful, or they should be ashamed to ever open their doors in their homes and/or offices. People perform upkeep every day, it’s simply necessary. The service we provide is an opportunity to give a positive or negative impression on behalf of our clients, we represent them as a company every time we work in their office or facility. How do you feel if you use a public restroom that isn’t up to par? Does it change your view of the establishment? Do you feel like a valued customer at this point?Worthwhile Work = Providing a Valuable Service.

Have you ever been offended when someone tells you how or what to clean, or not to forget this or that? Well don’t be. It’s the kind of thing that makes us feel like even though we worked incredibly hard at the job as a whole, one or two things get nit-picked. Cleaning is just that way. As a mom I can clean and clean at home and then re-enter the room 5 minutes later to a complete mess. It can be a defeating feeling to clean the same things over and over again. Just know that the person asking you if you remembered to clean something or if you can do something extra or different, has the big picture in mind of making the clients happy. It doesn’t mean you are a terrible cleaner if you miss something. It might mean there is a more efficient way to do something or out of 2 dozen tasks that night there was 1 that needed more attention or detail, that is the role of the Site Manager, to ensure the quality of work getting done as they will be the one to answer to the client if it isn’t up to par. Being coachable and flexible in any job or career is necessary for success and progress. See the big picture and know that we all get “nit-picked” or something pointed out to us. The reality is that if the whole facility is clean but something is dirty or dusty or got missed it tends to stand out all the more because everything around it is shining. If you are being coached on a cleaning task it isn’t meant to irritate or offend you. The details matter, specifically to our clients. Realize that it’s all a team effort and be a team player, don’t get mad, get over it.

I thought I'd share an article each week from our June Employee Newsletter. --KariHow are we different?Is cleaning “just cleaning”? I believe attitude affects EVERYTHING we do, especially in our jobs. Forget the the sterio-type of the old janitor in coveralls pushing the dust mop up and down the hallway as slow as a turtle with slumped down shoulders and a bitter attitude.Cleaning takes ENERGY. We are as professional as we WANT to be. Every job is important or it wouldn’t be a job. How do I view our role to our clients? I truly view our team as an asset and help to our customers. We help them do their jobs more effectively by preparing their office or facility for each new day of business. People notice “clean” verses “dirty”…..it may not always get back to your ears but it is always noticed. Imagine if you had to go to work each day with trash all over, caked on dust and a dirty floor and let’s not even get into dirty restrooms….it truly affects morale, motivation and moods. It also would be a poor representation to the clients that come it to do business. We are a community based business. We are not a large franchise that views the jobs as a bare minimal service, rather we are investing in our own community, neighbors and friends.There is a TRUST from our clients that we will be as professional in their office or facility as they are. The respect for their business and their clients is a part of our service to them.A cleaning position may not be a career-type job, it is a part time gig for most people, but the out look and the view of a partnership role with our clients is how we are different from our competition.I have full confidence in the team we have to represent Simply Cleaner and our clients in a professional way and to see business through the eyes of our clients.

Among our cleaning team, we all voted Murphy Oil Soap as our favorite all purpose general cleaner. It is not a disinfectant, but does a great job on base boards, office furniture...including chairs and sides/fronts/tops of desks...and MUCH more! Murphy Oil has been around for a long time and it is timeless. The scent is not only fresh and clean but lasting. DID I MENTION THAT THIS IS A MULTI-PURPOSE CLEANER?Product Rating: Pros: Biodegradable. Cleans wood like no other product. Has multiple uses. Inexpensive.The Bottom Line: This ancient product can't be beat for cleaning wood and wax build-up. It also has other uses around the office, house and yard.

The Product:

Murphy’s Oil Soap has been around for eons, over a hundred years. It comes to us from the Colgate/Palmolive Company, originally founded in the early 1800’s.This product is biodegradable and contains a principal natural ingredient, Potassium Soap of Vegetable Oil, combined with sodium EDTA, propylene glycol and fragrance. It comes in a no frills, transparent, 16fl oz, plastic bottle with a screw off cap. The cleaner is a translucent pale tan color with a unique, pleasant fragrance. Average price per small bottle = $3.99. Simply Cleaner uses the Commercial Grade version which is purchased in a larger bottle, you can find these at Menards and Sams as well as any Janitorial Supply Company.

Colgate/Palmolive’s Claim:

Surprisingly, I found out that this product is not just for cleaning wood. It is actually a household cleaner that takes care of a multiple of tasks around the house and yard:

· Safely cleans inside the refrigerator without harming the enamel · Cleans the kitchen floor (tile, linoleum/vinyl, or wood!), cabinets, cupboards, countertops, and even the kitchen sink · Easily removes dust and build-up on countertops and fixtures · Safely cleans painted surfaces · Cleans walls and doors around light switches and doorknobs · Safely and gently cleans cribs, highchairs, playpens, toys, vinyl mattresses, and mats. It leaves no harmful residue behind -- only its fresh smell. · Clean walls and painted furniture · Makes a great pre-spotter, especially on organic stains like grass, blood, and soil. Just apply Murphy's directly to the stain, rub into the fabric, and wash as usual. Cuts through grease, lipstick, and ink on fabrics. For tough stains, spritz thespot and let soak for a few hours. · Removes dirt and mildew on outdoor furniture · Safely cleans plastic and wicker

Sara's Pick of the Month for cleaners is "The Barkeeper's Friend" " This product was a useful tool in removing some rust build up in one of our client's restrooms." This amazing product has been around since 1882! Check out more details about it at http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/ Our only regret is not having some before and after pictures from the amazing transformation with the rust. It literally disappeared the second Barkeepers Friend was applied to it. Do you have any success stories with a particular cleaner? Do Tell!

Just tried a new product that I'm sold on. Do your floors still look dull even after a thorough cleaning? I have laminate and tile floors in my basement and found this product brought back the life and shine to the floors. Note, this product is not a cleaner that you are to work into your floors. The first step is to vacuum/sweep your floor thoroughly. The 2nd step is to clean it with vinegar water or your regular choice of cleaner. Make sure you rinse the floor if you are using a lot of product on it. Next you use this product that I am recommending. Rejuvenate Floor Refresher.I used a Shmop, or a long handled flat head mop that holds a Microfiber Cloth that has elastic around it to apply the Floor Refresher. You just spray the area, go over it once with the mop and then let it dry for a good half hour. It's a really nice shine that lasts and is safe. I give this product 2 thumbs up! I found it at Home Depot, the spray version was $8.96 and the concentrated bottle was $19.88. It should last you a long time! The link below has pricing on it but your local Home Depot Store carries it to save you on the shipping. I did note on the bottle it says this product is "Great for Newer FLoors" I think that this is to be used with caution with old wood floors.http://www.forlifeproducts.com/Rejuvenate_bymfg_9-0-1.html

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Is your 2011 off to a great start? Organization is one of the most common New Year's Resolutions. It's something we all strive to get better at. In the office or at home it can be overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to get 2011 started on the right track!1. take inventory -- making piles and labeling as you stack, labeling with a sticky note will make for a faster system when it's time to sort those piles and determine what goes where. You can skip the "what" if it's already labeled.2. purge - an on going necessity. Sometimes it's not purging but filing. 3. cleanse - everything is easier to find when it's clean. 4. optimize space -dare to rearrange. Sometimes change is refreshing and more efficient. Remember, it can always be changed again!5. create a place for everything6. label - seems unnecessary at times but a quick glance can make your time more efficient.7. computer clean up - deal with emails as they come in...delete and archive, leaving only those that need an answer in the In box. 8. untangle the cords - Office supply stores sell reletively cheap "cord hiders". No more tangles! And a nice clean look for your desk area.9. stock up on office supplies - The New Year is a great time to make a list of all supplies used in the office and have a working list to go off of when it's time to re-order. A simple excel spread sheet will do the trick. Anything from pens to styro cups that are for the coffee station should go on here. Utilize your Cleaning Service to maintain this for you.10. maintain - efficiency will result from maintaining and also delegating in areas that you can. Here are some web sites for more information and details on utilizing these guidelines:http://ineedmoretime.com/office_tips.htmhttp://www.organizingnetwork.com/tips/work/articles06.phphttp://www.restockit.com/office-organizing-pr.html

Kari Zimmerman

About the Owner:

"I have been happily married to my husband, Dave for 20 years. We have 4 wonderful children. Life is busy but we would have it no other way. I started cleaning professionally in 1998 doing Residential Cleanings, word of mouth spread and business developed into Office Cleaning and Building Cleanings. I truly enjoy helping and providing quality service and organization to each individual client and meeting the needs of each one's business. Our goal at Simply Cleaner is to represent our clients with the same professional outlook that the clients demonstrate themselves."